In conventional usage in door mounted latch construction the so called backset measurement is the distance from the edge of the door in which the latch bolt is mounted to the transverse axis about which the latch operator, usually a spindle, rotates for extending and retracting the bolt. Backset is measured perpendicularly from the door edge. Backset has for the most part have been standardized by the industry. Two prevailing measurements for backset are 2 and 3/8 inches and 2 and 3/4 inches. In the past, most manufacturers of latch constructions have satisfied the demand for the two alternative backset positions by producing and marketing two different and distinctive models of many of the latch constructions. There is a distinct need in the industry for a latch construction which provides the alternate backset selection without the need for substituting parts and/or requiring disassembling the latch mechanism or the use of special shaped spindles. Due to the number of non-expert installers in the field, it is necessary that the selection of backset be simple, reliable and easy-to-accomplish without the need for substitute or complicated assembly and reassembly of interconnected parts.